Apparatus to apply plural coatings combined with diverse doctor means



May 17, 1966 c. L. HORNBERGER ET AL 3,251,338

APPARATUS TO APPLY PLURAL COATINGS COMBINED WITH DIVERSE DOCTOR MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 INVENTOR. CLARENCE L. HORNBERGER EDWARD W- STANLEY May 17, 1966 c HORNBERGER ETAL 3,251,338

APPARATUS TO APPLY PLURAL COATINGS COMBINED WITH DIVERSE DOCTOR MEANS Filed Aug. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j INVENTOR.

CLARENCE L- HORNBERGER EDWARD W- STANLEY United States Patent 3,251,338 APPARATUS TO APPLY PLURAL COATINGS COM- BINED WITH DIVERSE DOCTOR MEANS Clarence L. Hornberger and Edward W. Stanley, Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pa., assignors to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 215,919 Claims. (Cl. 118-63) This invention relates to an apparatus for depositing loose particulate decorative 'color composition on the surface of continuous sheet material, and more particularly to an apparatus in which the loose particulate material is present in certain design elements of a repeatable pattern in suitable registration.

In the production of printed floor and wall coverings, it has been common practice to sprinkle glitter material such as metallic fiakes or chips on a tacky surface of the floor covering so that the finished design has certain design areas embodying metallic flakes or chips. There is a need for an apparatus for depositing such particulate material in certain predetermined localized areas in an over-all design so that the glitter coated area can be synchronized in registry with the other elements of the over-all design.

The invention set forth in this application discloses an apparatus in which the adhesive used for securing the glitter or other added particulate material to the sheet material is applied by a printing device in which the adhesive applying surface is adapted to register with a plurality of printing units, each of which prints a component part of the design. In the particular embodiment here under consideration, the adhesive is printed onto the continuous sheet, by a gravure roll in which the engraving is in register with the other rolls used to print the color elements of the design. The previously printed design elements are all subjected to a drying process which renders them substantially non-tacky. The loose flakelike material is applied from a hopper in a uniform layer over the entire width of the web to a depth sufficient to completely block the adhesive. The particles which fall on the adhesively coated areas adhere while those falling on the dry portion of the sheet do not adhere. The particles are then pressed firmly into the adhesive and the web is suspended in an inverted position over the supply hopper so that the excess flakes or particles fall by gravity into the same supply hopper from which they were previously fed onto the sheet. Any particles adhering by means other than the applied adhesive are removed by the combination of a brush and an air blast.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device in which the adhesive for securing particulate material to the surface of a continuous web of floor and wall covering is applied by a conventional printing unit in registry with the other printing units applying the design so that the design elements embodying the particulate or flakelike material are design elements in registers with the balance of the design.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood, it will be described in connection with the attached drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention; in which FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a printing unit of a rotogravure machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the glitter applying equipment; and Y FIG. 3 is a plan view of a sheet of material showing a floor covering design made by this method and apparatus.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown one station in a rotogravure machine embodying an impression cylinder 3,251,338 Patented May 17, 1966 1, an offset cylinder 2, and an engraved cylinder 3. In

this particular operation, the olfset cylinder 2 prints a low viscosity adhesive onto the web 4 passing between the offset cylinder 2, and the impression cylinder 1. These rolls in normal operation are covered by a suitable hinged cover 5.

All of the equipment described so far is standard for a gravure printing press as shown in United States Patent 3,099,956. The only difference over a conventional printing operation resides in the printing of an adhesive rather than an ink. Instead of the adhesively printed sheet being run directly to the dryer as is conventional and shown by the broken line, it passes through a device which deposits particulate or flakelike material over the entire surface of the sheet, and subsequently removes that which is not deposited on areas printed with adhesive.

While this description involves only one unit in connection with one printing station on a gravure printing machine, it will be understood the invention can be carried out using a flexographic printing system as well. Also a plurality of these units can be installed if desired so that the final product can have a design in which different pattern elements have different colored glitter material, or may have a different type of particulate material deposited thereon. In those instances where more than one adhesive applying station is used they can all be fiexographic printing units or combinations of flexographic and one gravure unit. The first adhesive applying unit can be gravure but subsequent adhesive applying units must be flexographic to prevent the pickup of previously applied glitter particles.

A roll 6 which preferably has its surface knurled as shown in FIG. 2 extends the full width of the material and is positioned so that the lower portion of its circumference at point 7 is.on approximately the same horizontal plane as the top portion 8 of the impression cylinder 1. At the stations of the gravure machine which merely print an ink design element on the continuous sheet material, the sheet passes from the impression cylinder 1 at a slight upward angle to the dryer positioned above and slightly beyond the vertical plane of the impression cylinder 1. In the particular arrangement here under consideration the web passes around a greater portion of the periphery of the impression cylinder 1 and continues on a substantially horizontal plane to the knurled roll 6. This provides a flat area 9 in the web 4 between these two rolls. The knurled roll 6 is an idler roll and is rotated only by the frictional engagement of the sheet 4 passing around approximately of its periphery. A second roll 10 is provided to change-the direction of the sheet toward the dryer. The positioning of the roll 10 is such that the web passes through a plane at about 45 between the periphery of roll 6 and the periphery of roll 10.

Immediately in front of the roll 6 is an angularly disposed plate 11 extending across the entire length of the roll. This plate 11 is mounted on a shaft 12 which is capable of rotation through a limited arc to change the angle of the plate ll and also to change the width of the opening between the knurled roll 6 and the edge 13 of the plate 11. The surface of the roll 6 and the plate 11 form a hopper for the reception of granular or flakelike decorative composition particles. The knurled surface of the roll 6 engaging these granular flakelike particles and the angle of the plate 11 cooperate to force the material in the hopper to move through the opening 14 between the edge of the plate 11 and the knurled roll 6. This insures a constant supply of material available for discharge through the opening 14 at all times. The size or depth of the knurling is such that it will engage the material in the hopper and force it down through the U opening so that it will fall onto the web passing between the cylinder 1 and the roll 6 immediately beneath the opening 14. In those instances where the various designs produced on a given machine require particles of a range of sizes, it may be desirable to have on hand a plurality of rolls 6 each having different knurling characteristics so that the proper roll can be selected for the specific size of particle being utilized.

Since the speed of roll 6 is determined by the speed of the web, and the knurling on the roll prevents slippage between the sheet and the roll and also insures a constant uniform supply of particulate material through the opening 14, it will be obvious that the rate of fiow of particulate material passing through the opening 14 between the roll 6 and the plate 11 is dependent upon the speed of the sheet. This arrangement insures a uniform covering of color particles on the surface of the sheet regardless of the speed of the sheet.

The particles or flake material are placed on the sheet in such quantity as to completely cover the same so that no adhesive is exposed when the sheet passes around knurled roll 6 in actual engagement therewith. The pressure exerted on the sheet as it passes around the knurled roll 6 in engagement therewith is sufficient to press the granules or flakes covering the adhesive-coated areas into the adhesive while the remainder of the granules and flakes are merely held in engagement with the sheet. As the sheet leaves the roll 6, the major portion of the granules or flakes carried by the Web follows the knurled roll except those granules or flakes which have been embedded in the adhesive. The removal of the excess particles or flakes from the sheet is largely due to gravity. The arrangement is such that the loose material falling from the sheet falls into the hopper from which it was supplied. In those instances where some of the flakes continue to adhere to the web by reason of a static charge or a slight tacky condition of the printed ink, a brush 15 is provided to engage the surface of the web as it moves between the rolls 6 and directly over the hopper provided by the knurled roll 6 and the plate 11. The brush removes any particles adhering to the sheet other than those embedded in the adhesive. The particles embedded in the adhesive will not be disturbed by the brush 15. This brush 15 is so positioned that any of the particles removed by it drop onto the surface of the knurled roll 6 to be carried into the hopper.

After the sheet passes around the roll 10, it continues on through the dryer and from there to another printing station or to a roll-up stand, depending on the station in the machine in which this device is installed. As the sheet leaves the roll 10 it is traveling on the plane of approximately 45, but at 90 with respect to the plane of the sheet as it passes between the rolls 6 and 10. While in this position the web surface is exposed to blasts of air from pipe 16 having a plurality of jets of air 17 directed onto the surface of the sheet. This pipe 16 is capable of rotation through a limited arc to alter the angle of blast with respect to the sheet. The purpose of this blast air is to remove any particles which are still carried by the sheet on areas not covered by adhesive. The particles removed by this air blast are entrained in the exhaust air, and are carried by it into an exhaust manifold 18 at the lower extremity of the path of the air blast. This manifold is connected to an exhaust fan which collects the particles.

In carrying out this invention, a design of the type shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3 is made up in which the areas designated A will have one color of ink, B a second color of ink, C a third color, D a fourth color, and the areas E have the particles adhered to an adhesive printed in this area. As this sheet passes through a conventional gravure machine, the first offset cylinder 2 prints ink in all of the areas designated A. The second offset cylinder prints ink of a different color in all of the areas B. At the third station the offset cylinder prints ink of a still different color in the areas C and at the fourth station the offset cylinder prints a still differently colored ink in the areas D. At the fifth station an adhesive is printed on the areas designated E. This adhesive may be clear or pigmented, depending on the specific pattern involved. After each of the individual printing stations, the sheet passes through a dryer which dries the ink applied at that station. When the sheet reaches the fifth station which prints the adhesive E the previously applied ink in areas A, B, C and D is dry. After the adhesive has been printed in the areas E the sheet passes through the device of this invention before it goes through the dryer, therefore the adhesive is wet when the particles are sprinkled on the sheet. Particles cover all of the sheet including the areas A, B, C, D, and E. However, the pressure applied by the knurled roll 6 does not embed the particles in the areas A, B, C, and D, but does imbed the particles is the adhesive in the area B. After the sheet passes beyond the knurled roll 6, the particles will fall off the areas A, B, C, and D, but adhere to the adhesive in the areas E.

In this illustration only one design area is shown with the particles. It will be understood that this sheet could have the. area A covered by particles of one color, B of another color, C of a third color, D of a fourth color, and E of a fifth color, if that is desired. Or, any number of areas between 1 and 5 could have the color particles applied. In those cases where machines are used having more than five printing stations, of course the number of individual design elements in the pattern can be increased to correspond to the number of printing stations in the machine. It will be understood, too, that particles of different type and size can be positioned on different areas of the over-all design. This lends a great deal of flexibility to the method and apparatus here under consideration.

We claim:

1. A device for affixing particulate decorative material to predetermined areas of a moving sheet to form an ornament design in a synchronized arrangement with other design units, the elements comprising an off-set cylinder in cooperation with an impression cylinder to print an adhesive on certain predetermined areas of a sheet passing therebetween, an idler roll positioned so that the lowermost part of its periphery is on substantially the same horizontal plane as the top of the impression cylinder, an angularly disposed rectangular plate positioned so that one of its edges is in close proximity to and parallel with a line on the surface of said idler roll, a portion of the surface of said idler roll and said angularly disposed plate forming a hopper with the space between the idler roll and the plate forming a slot in the bottom of the hopper, said slot being disposed immediately over the horizontal plane between the top of said impression cylinder and the bottom of said idler roll, a second idler roll positioned on an axis parallel to the axis of the first roll, the positioning of the second idler roll being such that a web of sheet material passing from the top of the first idler roll to the .bottom of the second idler roll will pass directly over the hopper formed by the first idler roll and the angularly disposed plate, a particle-removing device positioned to engage the surface of a sheet of material as it passes between the two idler rolls, and air blast means positioned along the path of travel of the sheet material in proximity to and beyond the second idler roll to direct a blast of air onto the sheet to remove excess particles therefrom.

2. A device of the type set forth in claim 1 in which the first idler roll is a knurled roll.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the particle-removing device which engages the surface of the sheet is a brush.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 in which the brush is a stationary brush.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Lipius 118-57 Maclean 117-25 Smothers 101-154 Lamb 101-4162 Thackeray 101-115 6 Bryant 117-25 Burns 117-25 Aronstein et a1. 117-25 X Holt 117-33 Schwartz 117-19 WeidliCk 101-154 MORRIS KAPLAN, Prz 'mary Examiner. RICHARD D. NEVIUS, CHARLES A. WILLMUTH,

Examiners.

R. E. ZIMMERMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR AFFIXING PARTICULATE DECORATIVE MATERIAL TO PREDETERMINED AREAS OF A MOVING SHEET TO FORM AN ORNAMENT DESIGN IN A SYNCHRONIZED ARRANGEMENT WITH OTHER DESIGN UNITS, THE ELEMENTS COMPRISING AN OFF-SET CYLINDER IN COOPERATION WITH AN IMPRESSION CYLINDER TO PRINT AN ADHESIVE ON CERTAIN PREDETERMINED AREAS OF A SHEET PASSING THEREBETWEEN, AN IDLER ROLL POSITIONED SO THAT THE LOWERMOST PART OF ITS PERIPHERY IS ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HORIZONTAL PLANE AS THE TOP OF THE IMPRESSION CYLINDER, AN ANGULARLY DISPOSED RECTANGULAR PLATE POSITIONED SO THAT ONE OF ITS EDGES IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND PARALLEL WITH A LINE ON THE SURFACE OF SAID IDLER ROLL, A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF SAID IDLER ROLL AND SAID ANGULARLY DISPOSED PLATE FORMING A HOPPER WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE IDLER ROLL AND THE PLATE FORMING A SLOT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOPPER, SAID SLOT BEING DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY OVER THE HORIZONTAL PLANE BETWEEN THE TOP OF SAID IMPRESSION CYLINDER AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID IDLER ROLL, A SECOND ROLL POSITIONED ON AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE FIRST ROLL, THE POSITIONING OF THE SECOND IDLER ROLL BEING SUCH THAT A WEB OF SHEET MATERIAL PASSING FROM THE TOP OF THE FIRST IDLER ROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND IDLER ROLL WILL PASS DIRECTLY OVER THE HOPPER FORMED BY THE FIRST IDLER ROLL AND THE ANGULARLY DISPOSED PLATE, A PARTICLE-REMOVING DEVICE POSITIONED TO ENGAGING THE SURFACE OF A SHEET MATERIAL AS IT PASSES BETWEEN THE TWO IDLER ROLLS, AND AIR BLAST MEANS POSITIONED ALONG THE PATH OF THE SHEET MATERIAL IN PROXIMITY TO AND BEYOND THE SEOND IDER TO DIRECT A BLAST OF AIR ONTO THE SHEET TO REMOVE EXCESS PARTICLES THEREFROM. 